Gas ‘godfather’ slams Forrest greenwash claims

Richard Cottee, one of the creators of Queensland’s giant coal seam gas industry, has slammed Andrew Forrest for accusing the oil and gas industry of greenwashing.

Queensland gas pioneer Richard Cottee has lashed Andrew Forrest over claims the energy industry has embarked on greenwashing to boost its environmental credentials.

The godfather of Queensland’s coal-seam gas industry, Richard Cottee, has attacked Andrew Forrest for accusing the energy industry of greenwashing its environ­mental credentials, saying the billionaire had engaged in bullying behaviour not backed up by facts.

Dr Forrest, the chairman of iron ore giant Fortescue Metals, accused the country’s major energy producers of greenwashing the oil and gas industry on Monday and “putting lipstick on a pig”, saying companies must come clean on their contribution to climate change.

Ahead of the APPEA oil and gas conference opening in Brisbane on Tuesday, Mr Cottee said it was a misguided attack that lacked evidence and said the industry was committed to meeting net zero targets by 2050, while continuing to meet soaring demand for the fuel and help ease growing global energy security fears.

“I can understand that he [Dr Forrest] wants to create a sense of urgency on moving to a greener world, but stick to the facts,” Mr Cottee said.

“If he’s got evidence of greenwashing god bless it and put it out. But just don’t say, I’m righteous and you’re evil. It’s the sort of stuff that I hated when I was at school. We used to call them bullies.”

Mr Cottee, the executive chairman of Queensland producer State Gas, said the oil and gas industry took its emissions commitments seriously. However, he saw no evidence of greenwashing, the practice of overstating a company’s green credentials.

“It’s an unfortunate thing that you’re seeing greenwashing on all sorts of fronts across different industries. But just by putting greenwashing or any other label on it, you don’t have to argue the facts,” he said.

“I’m not against the idea that if someone is being found out greenwashing they should be hit with appropriate penalties. But just carte blanche stating it across an entire industry is, I believe, intellectually lazy at best.”

Andrew Forrest, chairman, and Julie Shuttleworth, Fortescue Future Industries CEO at the FMG Hazelmere facility near Perth in Western Australia. Picture: Tony McDonough

State Gas and industry giant Santos will on Tuesday be named among preferred tenderers for a major Queensland gas exploration scheme as the state looks to add new supplies for east coast users. High demand for gas and LNG in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine showed that the fuel will remain a critical energy source for years to come, according to Mr Cottee.

“We’ve forgotten the security implications of not having a pathway now. There is a gas shortage coming about and importing LNG is not going to save the planet ­either,” Mr Cottee said, referring to a slew of LNG import plants in Australia, including one being developed by Dr Forrest’s Squadron Energy in NSW.

Queensland’s Minister for Resources Scott Stewart will tell the APPEA conference on Tuesday that it has hired KPMG to engage with the market on the commercial case for developing a gas pipeline from the Bowen Basin to the east coast amid concern of a looming supply shortfall from 2026.

Mr Stewart will tell the ­conference a study found that if “we capture and use even a small portion of the methane from ­operating coal mines in the Bowen Basin, the reduction in emissions outweighs the cost of additional new emissions from developing the basin”.

“The market engagement should improve private sector confidence and hasten development of a pipeline from the Bowen Basin to the east coast,” Mr Stewart will say.

ExxonMobil, the biggest supplier of gas to the east coast, will also call for governments to retain a stable investment environment ahead of Saturday’s federal election.

“When things are going well, it’s easy to take for granted all the investment, effort and hard work required to supply the energy that supports our way of life,” ExxonMobil Australia chairman Dylan Pugh will tell the conference.

“But current global events highlight why it is absolutely critical that governments preserve our stable investment environment, with policies that support the development of a ­diverse range of energy solutions for Australia.”

Queensland is working on a 30-year blueprint for the resources industry and Mr Stewart will concede that gas over the long term will invariably fade from its current position.

“Queensland is well positioned to benefit from increased trade in liquefied natural gas over the next decade. However, looking beyond the next decade is challenging,” Mr Stewart will say.

“As a government, we expect all operators to decarbonise, and we have committed in our draft 30-year plan to facilitate industry access to renewable energy and also to work with industry to reduce fugitive emissions.”